Paris 2024 Olympics: Blues 3×3 basketball team eliminated from TQO semi-final by Lithuania, qualification becomes more difficult

The pitch was too high for the Blues. Contrary to the benchmark in this discipline, the French men’s 3×3 basketball team lost to Lithuania (15-21) this Sunday in the semi-finals of the Olympic qualifying tournament organized in Japan, in Utsunomiya.

Only the winner of this TQO will validate their ticket to the Paris 2024 Games, allowing the Tricolors to compete in the tournament in Debrecen (Hungary). It will take place from May 16 to 19 and will be the last chance for the French to take part in the Olympic Games.

Ranked sixth in the world, the Blues struggled in their first two matches yesterday, losing 17-21 to Mongolia and then beating hosts Japan 21-10. But this Sunday the team of Alex Vialaret, Hugo Suchard, Jules Rambaud and Lahau Konaté faced something stronger. The tournament’s number one seed and third country in the world, Lithuania put up a real physical fight against the French.

The Blues didn’t give up

Being combative, they faced a team that defended well and found it difficult to move. Karim Suchou’s men had to wait until the second minute to score their first goal against Jules Rambeau (1-1). After losing the duels, the French quickly fell behind by three points (4th place, 1-4) before being put back on track with the first two-point basket of the game by Hugo Suchard (4th place, 5-6).

Constantly behind the score, the French trio did not give up, gaining the score again thanks to their captain Alex Vialaret (10-10, 6th place). The end of the match got absolutely crazy with both teams going shot after shot as Suchard’s basket gave the Blues the lead for the first time in the match (7th place, 11-10), but was quickly erased by the Lithuanian colon.

Struggling defensively and less effective than their opponents from long range, Karim Souchu’s men eventually broke down late in a match controlled by the reigning European vice-champions. We’ll have to keep our heads up for the last chance tournament, which starts in less than two weeks in Hungary. The French women’s team has already qualified.